Moto Z4 won’t get Android R – yet another reason to pick the Pixel 3a

The Moto Z4 will only be updated to one new Android version, according to recent reports.

News Motorola’s ill-fated 2019 flagship, the Moto Z4, will only be upgraded to Android Q broke via Digital Trends over the weekend. Trusted Reviews has contacted Motorola to confirm the report and will update this article when it hears back.

If accurate the news means the phone will not get updated to next year’s version of Android. This would be a key change for Motorola which has an excellent track record for software updates across its entire portfolio of phones, including its cheaper Moto G line.

The Moto Z4 is Motorola’s current flagship smartphone. It made an unintended debut in May when Amazon accidentally put it on sale before Motorola had actually unveiled it. It’s currently only available in the US for $499.99 and Motorola hasn’t indicated any plans to expand its launch to other territories.

Unlike past Z-series phones the Moto Z4 has fairly mid-range specs that are on a par with things like the Pixel 3a and Pixel 3a XL, not the Galaxy S10. We haven’t reviewed the Moto Z4 yet, but the lack of support would in our mind make the Pixels better long-term purchases on paper. The Pixel phones are built by Google and generally get software updates as long as their hardware can handle them.

Related: Best mid-range smartphone

The Moto Z4 runs using a mid-level Qualcomm Snapdragon 675 CPU and 4GB RAM. Round back you’ll find the same 48-megapixel camera sensor seen on the OnePlus 7, as well as numerous other handsets.

Up front you’ll see a 6.4-inch, FHD+ resolution, OLED screen and 25-megapixel selfie camera that’s housed in a Huawei P30-style dewdrop notch. The only atypical feature is its support for Motorola’s Moto Mod peripherals.

The feature lets you add extra functionality to the Moto Z4, like 5G support or a bigger battery, by magnetically attaching optional peripherals to the phone’s back.

Motorola’s confirmed that, unlike past years, it has no plans to release Play of Force variants of the Moto Z4, which is a little sad. The Play-series phones are designed to be cheaper slightly stripped down versions of Motorola’s main flagship, similar in kind to the Galaxy S10e. The Force variants were designed with durability in mind and feature ruggedised designs.

After graduating from King’s College London, Alastair started his career covering government technology policy and cyber security at The International Business Times. He later joined Incisive Media as…

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